Today with us is a personality for whom success is not merely wealth, but a name for values and service. Emerging from a small village of Dudhala in Gujarat to make a global mark, an exemplar of simplicity and generosity, Rajya Sabha MP Govind Dholakia. Welcome, sir, to Sansad TV. You are also known as 'Kaka-ji'. First of all, I would like to understand the story behind the name 'Kaka-ji'.
It so happened that I was in business. When my nephew entered the business, he started calling me 'Kaka' [Uncle], so everyone in the market began calling me Kaka. Then we have a large army of doctors, and those doctors also started calling me Kaka. So that is how everyone made me famous by the name Kaka.
Right. In 1964, you stepped out from Dudhala towards Surat. What were your dreams back then, and what circumstances did you have to face?
Look, our village Dudhala is in Amreli district in West Gujarat. The village was very small, with a population of 700—a dusty village. The village had a school only from grades one to four, so I only studied up to class seven, but I used to walk 6 kilometers to attend school at Lathi Taluka Shala. Back then, that small world was all I knew; I had no idea that the world was so vast. Then my elder brother went to Surat for diamond cutting.
He came to Dudhala to pick up my sister-in-law. He said to me, 'Come on Govinda, you have to come to Surat to polish diamonds.' I told him, 'I still have to take my seventh-grade exams.' He replied, 'You don't need to study further, what work do you have? Come along, you can take your seventh-grade exams later.' In 1964, I came to Surat. When I arrived in Surat, there were only 200 diamond cutters and polishers in the entire city. I was one of them. Today, there are one million. So I witnessed that growth. At that time, the population of Surat was 300,000. Today it is 9 million, a thirtyfold increase, which I have seen as well.
Indeed. But your image is more than that of a businessman; you are seen as someone generous, kind, and always ready for social service. How and where did you get the inspiration for social service?
Look, first and foremost, I believe in nature—one's inherent nature. What is one's nature like? This is my nature. And where does nature come from? I believe in past lives. Let me remind you, I go to lecture at IIM every year. When I went for the first time in 2012, a student asked me, 'Is it true that you know the entire Gita by heart?' I said yes. He then said, 'Our second question is that those who know the Gita by heart never become industrialists, and those who are industrialists never memorize the Gita by heart. How did you manage both?' I gave him an answer. I believe the reason lies in past lives; there must be some past connection, and that shapes our nature, and our entire life is guided by our nature.
Absolutely. The way you spoke about industry alongside your spiritually rooted personality—I would like to remind you of another instance. Last year during the budget session, you were asked from the Chair, as you were raising issues concerning farmers, whether you are a farmer or a businessman. We would like to understand that in detail: are you a farmer, a businessman, or a social worker?
I am a farmer because I am a farmer's son. Not just a farmer's son—when I moved to Surat for diamonds at the age of 13 or 14, I mostly lived in the fields. I know all kinds of farm work: sowing, harvesting, collecting the grain. I know how to cut grass with a sickle. I could plow a field. So I am indeed a farmer. To this day, I remain connected with the village, and our farming continues even today. So I am a farmer, a son of a farmer, and currently a farmer. Furthermore, I am an industrialist because when I arrived in Surat, I worked in a factory for six years. So I am a worker as well.
After six years, three of us friends got together. The three of us started a factory with two workers. Today, by God's grace, 9,000 workers—staff members—work with us. We do not call them workers; we call them family members, so they are our family members. And as righteousness grows, wealth grows; when wealth grows, the spirit grows; when the spirit grows, honor grows; and growth continues to multiply. That is our situation.
Wonderful! And certainly, today you serve as an inspiration for millions of young people. What message would you like to give to the youth who are struggling?
Look, never take shortcuts. Because in life, I have observed that everyone asks me one question, just as you asked earlier: 'What dream did you bring with you?' So I tell all young people, do not dream idle daydreams like Mungerilal. There used to be a TV serial called 'Mungerilal Ke Haseen Sapne' about things that could never happen. I am deeply influenced by Dongreji Maharaj, who was a Bhagavata storyteller. Under his influence, he explained to us very well: forget the past, do not worry about the future, and live in the present.
His philosophy was: what can you do right now? Do that, because the present is in our hands. Whether we will be here tomorrow is not certain. So what can we do today? He had a wonderful sentence: those whose present is good will inevitably have a good future. So I tell youngsters: forget whatever mistakes happened in the past, and do not worry about what will happen to you in the future. Whatever time you have in hand right now, work 14 hours every day. Why 14 hours? Because I have done it for six years. The factory used to open at 6:00 AM and close at 8:00 PM. Even after that, I felt very fresh because that was my subject of interest. Another thing: in our village, we earned 1 rupee a day, whereas here we earned 4 rupees a day, so there was also happiness from that income. Those who work hard like this will definitely have a bright future.
Absolutely. As you conveyed, you don't need to be worried about anything; if you perform your duty, you will surely reap its fruits. Govind-ji, since you have worked in diverse areas of social service—particularly in education, healthcare, and special initiatives like mass marriages—I would like to understand which work gives you the most satisfaction?
Look, we do a lot of work in education. We also have our own school. Eight years ago, we introduced the Bhagavad Gita as a subject in this school. I express my joy in sharing that two years ago, the Gujarat government also mandated that the Gita be introduced as a subject in schools across Gujarat. It gives us immense joy that what we envisioned eight years ago and provided to children has now been implemented by the entire Gujarat government, and tomorrow the Government of India may implement it as well. We do extensive work in education, but I cannot mention everything right now. We have a school named after my mother in Dang Ahwa, a tribal area, with 500 students. There are no fees, and boarding and lodging for 12 months are completely provided there.
You will be pleased to know that it has been running for 26 years, managed by PP Swami. Today, 150 engineers and 40 doctors have emerged from those underprivileged tribal communities without paying fees. So all these educational efforts continue. As for medical care, we started our own medical center 30 years ago for the general public across Surat. That was primary and in-house. Later, by God's grace, we built Kiran Hospital, which is run by a trust with 200 trustees, and I serve as its chairman.
In 2013, its groundbreaking ceremony was performed by Narendra Modi when he was the Chief Minister, and in 2017, he inaugurated it as Prime Minister. You will be glad to know how it happened. When we applied to the Surat Municipal Corporation on Narendra Modi's suggestion, we later went to meet him in Gandhinagar and said, 'We haven't received possession yet, though the allotment is done. Please make a call so we get possession; we intend to spend 100 crore rupees.' Do you know what Modi sahib replied? 'Brother, you cannot even build a hotel for 100 crore rupees. You are planning to build a hospital. Make a plan for 500 crore rupees, this won't do.'
Coming out, we decided that we would build it for 500 crore rupees. We told everyone that one trustee would be inducted for 51 lakh rupees. We got 200 trustees, so 100 crore rupees came in straight away. A 500-crore hospital was completed in three years, and Narendra Modi inaugurated it as Prime Minister. Today it has expanded to 1,500 crore rupees because while it had 500 beds then, it now has 900 beds. A medical college was also established. The story behind building the medical college is very unique. When the Ukraine war started and medical students were brought back, we watched it on TV. The next day, six or seven friends working together decided, 'We will also start a medical college.'
We conceived the idea, and within 11 months, we admitted 150 students. In 11 months, the land had to be acquired, which we did, obtained approvals, completed non-agricultural conversions, and constructed 600,000 square feet. It was launched in 11 months by God's grace and government support. Today, the hospital and college stand at 1,500 crore rupees.
Let me share one more thing about the hospital. The hospital is named Kiran Hospital. A diamond company called Kiran Exports donated 65 crore rupees just for naming rights when a bidding process was ongoing. So it became Kiran Hospital. Interestingly, my own liver transplant surgery took place in this very hospital. When my liver failed—though I never drank or indulged in vices, something occurred naturally—the doctor said it had to be replaced. So the very first liver transplant surgery in our hospital was performed on me. On October 2nd, 2024, it completed four years. You will be delighted to know that since then, 85 liver transplants have been performed in our hospital, with 84 successes and only one failure. The global success rate for liver transplants is around 90%, whereas in our hospital, it is 98.5%.
Certainly. As you spoke about education and medical education, you clearly have a deep interest in education. Let me remind you that in Parliament, you raised the issue of an All India Education Service, akin to other services in the country like UPSC. You demanded that there should be an All India Education Service. What is the vision behind this? What did you think?
Because I have been associated with teachers and education for 35 to 40 years, I know the problems that arise. People are generally good; it is not that everyone in government service or administration is bad, nor is everyone exceptionally good. It is just like our business community—not all traders are good, nor are all bad. There are very good officers among them, but they face limitations. Why? Because an IAS officer is appointed as the head of education, but an IAS officer is trained in management, not specifically in education. So the thought came to my mind: we already have around 24 to 26 cadres, so why not one for education? If we can have a special cadre for forestry, why not for education? If an Education IAS cadre is created, candidates selected through UPSC can be trained specifically in education from the outset. That would greatly support education and elevate its standards. That was my thinking.
Indeed, that is a great vision. Moving on to your role as a politician—having been a businessman, farmer, and social worker—we would like to understand your perspective as a parliamentarian. In the House, during Zero Hour or Question Hour, where you recently raised issues, how important are these procedures from an MP's viewpoint?
